The German Panzerjager 1 Tank Destroyer

German Panzerjager 1 Tank Destroyer

The German PzKpfw I Light Tank entered service around 1934 as a turret less training vehicle (Ausf A model) but was soon fitted with a turret housing a pair of 7.92mm MG’s which was known as the Ausf B and served as a Reconnaissance vehicle during the 1939 Invasion of Poland and 1940 Invasion of France.

6000 of the Ausf B had been manufactured, but by mid-1941 only 74 remained in service, with many being converted in to other vehicle roles.

The Panzerjager 1 (German for “Tank Hunter “) was one of these converted Ausf B vehicles, which saw the turret removed and replaced with a limited traverse Czech 47mm Anti-Tank Gun with a frontal shield to give limited protect to the crew.

A total of 202 PzKpfw I Light Tanks were converted to the Panzerjager 1 between March 1940 and February 1941. Eventually better Tank-Destroyers were developed by the Germans which gave better protection to the crew and mounted larger guns, resulting in the vehicle being withdrawn from service in 1943.